Thoughts, stories, questions, and images from my quest to know more about my ancestors.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Sunday's Obituary - Frank F. Speck

The obituary of Frank F. Speck was published in The Monessen Daily Independent on April 8, 1940 and provides a lot of detail on his life (click on the image for a closer look). I have no information on Frank's family, and little about him before the birth of his children. The obituary states that he has been a resident of Monessen for 34 years, which would put him there around 1906 at around age 19. The first record or mention that I can find for Frank is in 1915 when his daughter Agnes is born.

The obituary also lists Frank's church, lodge and social activities, which show his involvement in the Monessen community. I am hoping that the Monessen library or historical society may have information on these groups that I can look at on our next research trip.

Another interesting part of the obituary is that he is survived by his wife Elizabeth, his son Frank R. and his daughter "Miss Agnes Speck". Agnes was married a year earlier, but didn't announce it until later in 1940 (see earlier post).

The mention of a sister in Germany is also helpful, since I didn't know of any of Frank's relatives. I know that all of dates and facts were given by a family member or friend and may not be exact (and are mostly likely NOT exact), but they give me some starting points on an otherwise tricky relative!